Thinking About Buying a Travel Trailer? Here’s What You Need to Know

Of course you love the great outdoors, but perhaps you enjoy conveniences like air conditioning and hard walls for privacy while camping.

We believe in camping your way, so if the above is true, buying a travel trailer might be the move. Towable RV ownership offers many of the benefits of tent and car camping—but with a lot more comfort and protection.

If you’re thinking about buying a travel trailer, there’s a lot to consider. Within the towable RV market, you’ll find everything from tiny teardrops to family-friendly bunkhouses and massive toy haulers with living space and room for your outdoor gear. Which towable motorhome is right for you? Which amenities and features do you need? It’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed, but a little preparation can help you enter the sales market with confidence.

So let’s talk about everything you need to know if you’re thinking of buying your first travel trailer, including how RV Trader, an online platform with over 200,000 new and used RVs, can assist. Once you’re ready, Hipcamp is here to help you discover magical campsites for your RV road trip adventures.

Pros and cons of camping with a travel trailer

Pros

• Travel trailers come in a wide range of sizes and prices, so you’ll definitely be able to find the right fit for your tow vehicle, price range, and lifestyle.
• Once you have the right RV, camping is simply more comfortable with a travel trailer, from the cozy bedrooms to the well-outfitted kitchens.
• Travel trailers offer protection from weather, animals, and campground noises.
• Towable RVs make it easy to leave the campground by day for exploration—simply unhitch and take off in your vehicle.

Cons

• You may experience a learning curve when first towing and parking, starting with the process of properly hitching up the travel trailer and installing a brake controller.
• You will need to carve out some storage space of your travel trailer when you’re not using it.
• You’ll likely have more expenses involved in purchasing and maintaining a travel trailer. Plus, you may see that the value depreciates over time.

How Hipcamp helps

Another reason to go for a travel trailer? Once you’re ready for camping trips with your RV, Hipcamp makes it simple to ensure any campsite you visit can accommodate your rig. Just search for sites based on your rig’s dimensions, then filter for other amenities like utility hookups, wifi, and level camping pads. You can also customize a roadtrip with Roadtrip search, the easiest way to find the best campsites along any road trip route, whether you’re headed to a few national parks or across America. When you’re ready to hit the road for the first time, you’ll find yourself setting up camp under the stars in scenic landscapes in no time.

Where to buy a travel trailer

One of the first decisions to make when shopping for a travel trailer? New or used. You can save money on the initial purchase price by buying a used trailer, but you won’t have the protections of a warranty or the satisfaction of a gleaming new RV.

Whether you decide to buy new or used, you can shop in person or online. Here are some options.

In-person: RV shows and dealerships

Shows are perfect for browsing types of RVs and models from many manufacturers in one location, helping you get a better sense of your wants and needs. You can even close a deal on the spot. Unfortunately, they only happen a few times of year in most regions.

Head to an RV dealership to find new models from a handful of manufacturers, as well as used RVs. You can get personalized service to find the best RV, as well as financing onsite. RV dealers will offer a walkthrough of your new travel trailer to help prepare you for your first outing.

Online: RV Trader

RV Trader makes it easy to do a customized regional or national search for new or used recreational vehicles that fit your specifications. If you have an exact model in mind, this is one of the best places to go to compare prices.

You can also read thousands of reviews from real RVers to get authentic perspectives. Plus, since RV owners pay a fee for listing a recreational vehicle for sale, you’re less likely to encounter scams when purchasing a used travel trailer.

Bottom line: Browsing in person can help you get a sense and feel for what type of travel trailer you want. Online platforms let you price shop to find the best deal for you.

What to know before buying a travel trailer

Ahead of buying a travel trailer, ask yourself each of these questions.

• Will my current vehicle be a good fit for the travel trailer I want? Check your vehicle’s specs to determine how much weight it can safely tow, or consider buying a more powerful new vehicle.
• Where can I store my travel trailer? If you live in a neighborhood, you may have HOA rules or limited space, requiring you to store your travel trailer offsite at a cost.
• How much will I use my RV? If you’re likely to take weekend trips and long vacations in your RV, you’ll get a good return on your investment.
• Am I comfortable towing and setting up a travel trailer? If you haven’t towed before, less may be more. Don’t be afraid to start with a smaller travel trailer. Either way, get training and plenty of practice.
• What is my camping style? Some people want to camp off-grid, while others prefer to camp at RV parks with hookups and amenities. On Hipcamp, you can find both.
• What is my RV budget? Aside from the purchase price, you’ll have some additional costs (more on these next).

From there, buying a travel trailer involves both upfront and ongoing costs. Keep these in mind:

Sales price

RVs can be found at every price point between a few thousand dollars up to $100,000. Realistically, expect to pay around $10,000 to $40,000 for used units, while new travel trailers often start at $15,000 and go upwards of $60,000 for luxury fifth wheel units.

Financing costs

Unless you’re paying cash, you’ll also pay interest on a loan. Check with the dealership, major banks, credit unions, and specialized RV loan lenders to find the best terms when financing your RV purchase.

Insurance and warranties

Of course, you want to protect your purchase. Insurance can protect you in cases of natural and man-made disasters, while warranties can help repair items such as your travel trailer structure or appliances.

Maintenance and storage

In areas where temperatures drop below freezing, you’ll need to winterize your RV to protect the pipes. If storing your RV away from home, get estimates for local prices. Finally, remember you’ll have other maintenance, cleaning, supply, and repair costs.

Towing vehicle

Your vehicle will need to have the towing capacity to support your new travel trailer. If you upgrade (maybe to a pickup truck), your payments may go up. You’ll probably also have initial costs to set up towing brakes and a hitch. Plus, you’ll have to keep ongoing maintenance in mind.

What to look for when buying a travel trailer

So, you’re sold on buying a camping trailer—what comes next? You need to figure out which floor plans and amenities are best suited for your camping lifestyle. Here are a few popular terms related to RV amenities, so you can narrow your search online or be specific while talking to a dealer:

• Bunkhouse: Dedicated bunk beds or a room for kids
• Couples coach: Generally set up with a single dedicated bed
• Toy hauler: Garage space with a large rear door and/or ramp
• Teardrop: Small trailers with an iconic shape hearkening back to the early days of RVing
• Pop-up camper: Campers with functionality for the exterior walls to fold down for easy transport and storage
• Slide-outs: Walls that slide out to expand the interior space in an RV, sometimes with awnings
• Wet bath: Bathrooms where the toilet is placed in the shower to save space
• Boondocking/off-grid camping: Camping without electric, water, or sewer hookups (If interested in this lifestyle, look for campers with amenities like solar power and water filtration systems, as well as larger holding tanks.)
• Outdoor kitchens: Popular with those who like to cook in the outdoors
• Hot water heater: Allows for hot showers (You may want one in your rig, whether fueled by propane or gas.)

You should also become familiar with various travel trailer manufacturers to narrow your search. There are hundreds, but here are a handful of notable ones known for quality travel trailers:

• Airstream: Famous for luxurious and iconic silver trailers
• Forest River, Keystone, Grand Design, Jayco, and Winnebago: Classic RV manufacturers that sell the most units and offer a wide range of models and amenities
• Ember, TAXA Outdoors, and inTech: Newer manufacturers building reputations for innovation

While there may be a lot to learn at first, you may find yourself glad you traded your tent for a trailer—especially when snuggled up in a cozy travel trailer listening to rain plunk on the roof, without the worry of it coming through.